


Our Love, In Bloom

by sunflowersailor



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: (but only a lil angst), Fluff and Angst, Language of Flowers, Love Confessions, M/M, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Time Skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:07:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29138286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunflowersailor/pseuds/sunflowersailor
Summary: (Written for the Ashedue Storybook Zine)Ashe and Dedue’s relationship, told through the flowers gifted to one another.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert & Dedue Molinaro, Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Dedue Molinaro
Kudos: 13





	Our Love, In Bloom

Dedue knows quite a bit about flower language.

He’s not a walking encyclopedia by any means, but he’s worldly enough to know the meaning behind the flower Ashe had presented to him with fidgety hands and averted eyes following the conclusion of the Battle of the Eagle and Lion.

A yellow rose—kissed by dew drops, the glow of the sun’s rays illuminating the delicate petals—was the earnest gift that was placed into his hands, accompanied by Ashe’s equally earnest face.

“It’s for friendship!” Ashe had squeaked out, then hurriedly clearing his throat, “Because, um, we’re friends.”

‘Friendship’ was a word that seldom crossed the bridge of Dedue’s subconscious while at Garreg Mach. His duty to His Highness occupied most of his thoughts, as well as which ingredients needed to be gathered for dinner most nights as Sylvain’s complaint’s of ‘nothing good ever being served’ had been an assault on his ears far too many times now.

But when Ashe—sweet, hardworking, determined Ashe—had declared the sentiment through the flower, Dedue found that maybe he could clear some space in his mind for a companion. And who better to choose than the one person in the monastery he truly felt at peace with?

+++

A camellia—pink as the blush that dusts Ashe’s cheeks as it’s tenderly tucked into his hair—is how Dedue returns his gesture, months after the initial rose had bloomed its way into his life, their friendship flourishing right along with it.

Afternoons that often stretched into evenings spent in the greenhouse, along with meal preparations that had the uncanny ability to turn into garden rendezvous were some of the things Dedue had become accustomed to while being Ashe’s friend. Soft feelings, like the flowers they tended to daily, had taken root in him—germinating whenever Ashe’s gentle smile graced his features.

“Are you familiar with the meaning of this one?” he’d asked after the camellia was securely put in place.

“I’m afraid I haven’t quite made it that far into my studies,” Ashe responded apologetically.

It was probably for the best, anyway. Ashe was already unaware of the gazes given from across the field as they trained, unaware of the way Dedue ached to brush his hand over his during meal times, unaware of the way his heart stuttered in his chest whenever Ashe asked to spend ‘just another hour’ with him.

They both had responsibilities after their time at the academy to uphold, so it was probably best that Ashe never figured out the meaning behind the camellia, as it would further complicate things.

At least, that’s what Dedue tries to convince himself of, but it’s difficult when the other camellias are still thriving, always serving as a reminder of his own undying feelings.

+++

Five years stretch past like honey dripping on toast in the heat of a summer day, except not nearly as sweet.

The greenhouse feels hollow without Dedue’s presence, but Ashe keeps tabs on the plants anyway. He wouldn’t want Dedue to come back to wilted plants with a wilted atmosphere to match.

That is, if he is coming back.

Ashe hates thinking like that, but he can’t help when the storm clouds roll in, bringing dark skies and darker thoughts. He’s taken to reading the book on flower language Dedue had lent him all those years ago in order to stave off some of the particularly upsetting ones. Imagining Dedue’s fingers as they turned the pages of the book is somewhat of a solace, if only for that moment. 

During yesterday’s reading session, he’d made a discovery: A pink camellia, pressed delicately between the gently worn pages of the book.

Ashe thinks it must've been fate that he'd found the flower. It must've been, because he was thinking of Dedue's kind, reassuring smile right as he'd stumbled upon it. And if that was fate, then surely it was also no mere coincidence that he'd looked up its meaning when he was thinking about how much he'd longed to have Dedue working in the greenhouse with him, his dulcet tone a melody to Ashe’s ears.

Dedue has to come back. He has to, because Ashe has the answer to his camellia.

+++

And when Dedue does come back, Ashe marches right up to him as he's sitting in his infirmary bed, heart hammering in his chest like a war drum, and bridges the five year gap with crimson blooms.

It's funny, in a way, how he'd started their friendship with a rose and ended it with one as well.

He'd ended their friendship… to allow romance to blossom in its place.

"I apologize for taking so long to get back to you, Dedue. I should've looked up what a pink camellia symbolized much sooner."

It's been far too long since Ashe has seen Dedue’s features soften and melt into something bordering smitten. It's been far too long without his presence being a constant in Ashe’s life. They need to make up for this lost time somehow, need to make up for the absence of kisses and lingering embraces.

With the war still hanging heavy on everyone's shoulders, this won't be an easy feat. But Ashe has just the plan: a flower every day, for every day Dedue wasn't around to receive one.

And perhaps someday, when the sun rises on a new era of peace, an entire greenhouse full of flowers could be theirs. And the first thing they’d plant?

A rose as yellow as sunshine, a symbol only their eyes would recognize, and something they could hold close to their hearts for the rest of their lives.

**Author's Note:**

> this was a fun piece to write! if you bought a copy of the zine, thanks for your support!! :)
> 
> twitter: peachh_boy  
> tumblr: peachh-boy
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated :>


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